The Opelousas courier., 1887-01-22
Fun at the Fireside.

An exchange describes q few tricks
and games with which the long winter
evenings may be quickly and pleasantly
whiled away. Here is a trick for the
boys to try:
The material reeded are a clothes
basket, a strong broom handle, a stout
walking stick, two Oh IRIS, and I UT
penny pieces. Pass the broomsticks
through the handles of the basket, and
let the pro Getting ends rest firm y on the
seats of two chairs, placed opposite to
each other. The slightest touch will
eau e the basket to oscillate. Then place
a coin on each front corner of the two
chair bottoms. 'fhe player must then
seat himself on the broom handle, with
a leg on each side of it. and attempt to
Jerk off the coins with the point of the
walking stick. He must neither touch
chair nor basket with his hands, but may
plant the stick on the floor, as a means
of steadying himself. As, however. the
stick is equally needed for jerking off
the coins, the operator generally has
many q roll out of the basket before he
succeeds. When the pennies opposite
to him have been dislarged, it is no easy
matter to turn r. und and .emove the re-
naming two.
This trick always produces shouts of
laughter; for the basket beingso near the
floor the tumbles do no harm to the
player, while his grotesque efforts are
highly amusing to the lockers On. If,
after a certain number of trials previously
agreed on, the operator fails in his
attempts he gives place to another.
When the lads are tired of this game,
pater -familias and one of his groWn-up
friends may take a turn at it, or the5
may answer to the question:
"Will you oblige me with a light?"
Two players are needed. One takes a
lighted candle in his left hand. Then
each must stand on the left foot only,
and extend the right leg and arm as far
behind as possible, they must bend for
ward, and try to give and take the re-
quired light.
And | wish they may succeed-being
quite sure that they will be successful in
adding to the fun of the Preside circle
by their praiseworty efforts.
Having failed or succeeded in lighting
a taper under these circumstances they
may next try in turn a novel mode of
extinguishing a lighted candle.
The player must be stationed opposite
to the light, which should be placed on
a sideboard or similar article of furni-
ture. Then, when thoroughly blind
folded, he must be re- ,uested to turn
round three times BET, ie he attempts to
blow out the candl..
This seems to be q very nipple matter
to do. Well, if you think so, try it.
By this time everybody is ready for a
round game, and everybody must play.
Suppose you begin with chow do you
like your neighbour"
All the players sit in a circle except
one, who stands in the middle and takes
the duty of ''odd man,
"The @Neighbor is always the player
to the right Of the one addressed.
The 'odd man, II girl" turning
quickly round, inquiries of a sitter,
How do you like your neighbor9"
IF the answer is "Not at all, - the |
next question is, "Who would you like
better2a
The sitter addressed names, or points |
out, the more favored individual, who
must instantly rise and run across to
change places with the rejected neigh
Dor; but the odd man. also tries to
obtain possession of one of the vacated
seats, aud, if successful, the other, who
has lost hers, stands in the middle and
becomes questioner in turn.
Should the re ly to 'How do you
Like your neighbor2" be every much"
instead of mot at ALL the whole of the
change seats. and whoever is :,
left without one becomes "odd man.